Identification of Immunotopes against Mycobacterium leprae as Immune Targets Using PhDTm- 12mer Phage Display Peptide Library

Purpose: To determine the surface epitopes of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and evaluate their efficacy in the production of anti-M. leprae antibodies in an animal model.Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 34 patients suffering from lepromatous leprosy. Antibodies were obtained from the samples, semi-purified and used to coat the wells of ELISA microplate, and M13 random-peptides library was added to the wells. After four rounds of panning, three clones were isolated and their peptide mimotopes were sequenced. Western blot was used to evaluate the interaction of the isolated mimotopes.Results: Three selective clones were tested by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot. anti-leprae antibodies in various dilutions and were found to be serological active. Sequencing of the isolated peptides showed identities between the two clones that were able to successfully induce anti-Leprae humoral response in mice.Conclusion: The findings indicate that the isolated peptides can potentially be used for early diagnosis. However, further research is required to improve their potency as new vaccines against leprosy.Keywords: Bacteriophage, Vaccine, Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae, Random Peptide Phage Display Librar

Optimalisasi Pemanfaatan Cangkang Kerang untuk Penjernihan Air Rawa Desa Burai Ogan Ilir

Nur UM, Ogara A, Heru H, Mukti MDA, Khatami MR, Fitrani M. 2021. Optimizing the utilization of seashells for purification of swamp water in Burai Village of Ogan Ilir District. In: Herlinda S et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-9 Tahun 2021, Palembang 20 Oktober 2021. pp. 289-295.  Palembang: Penerbit & Percetakan Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI).One of the natural resources that must be a concern for all parties because it has decreased the availability of clean water. Most regions in Indonesia have adequated water resources in terms of quantity, but inadequate in terms of quality, one of which is swamp waters. This article aimed to review the optimization of the use of clam shells for purifying swamp water in Burai Village, Ogan Ilir. The filtration system used three stages of neutralization, coagulation, and filtration.  Clam shell could reduce iron levels because they contained high calcium carbonate (CaCO3). In addition, clam shells also had high chitosan substances so that they could increase the pH value of swamp water such as neutralizing pH, water becomes clear, and odorless, so that it was safe to use for meeting household needs. The use of clam shells in the swamp water filtration process could improve the quality of swamp water, so that swamp water in Burai Village, Ogan Ilir Regency could be used for community household needs which included bathing, washing, and latrine activities. So that people didn't have to worry about the availability of clean water especially when entering the dry season

A pictorial Sleepiness and Sleep Apnoea Scale to recognize individuals with high risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a new pictorial form of a screening test for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) - the pictorial Sleepiness and Sleep Apnoea Scale (pSSAS). Validation was performed in a sample of patients admitted to sleep clinics in the UK and Switzerland. Patients and methods All study participants were investigated with objective sleep tests such as full-night-attended polysomnography or polygraphy. The pSSAS was validated by taking into account the individual result of the sleep study, sleep-related questionnaires and objective parameters such as body mass index (BMI) or neck circumference. Different scoring schemes of the pSSAS were evaluated, and an internal validation was undertaken. Results The full data set consisted of 431 individuals (234 patients from the UK, 197 patients from Switzerland). The pSSAS showed good predictive performance for OSAS with an area under the curve between 0.77 and 0.81 depending on which scoring scheme was used. The subscores of the pSSAS had a moderate-to-strong correlation with widely used screening questionnaires for OSAS or excessive daytime sleepiness as well as with BMI and neck circumference. Conclusion The pSSAS can be used to select patients with a high probability of having OSAS. Due to its simple pictorial design with short questions, it might be suitable for screening in populations with low health literacy and in non-native English or German speakers

A pictorial Sleepiness and Sleep Apnoea Scale to recognize individuals with high risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Cathrin Edelmann,1 Ramesh Ghiassi,2 Deborah R Vogt,3 Martyn R Partridge,2 Ramin Khatami,4 Jörg D Leuppi,1,5 David Miedinger1,5 1Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; 2National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; 3Clinical Trial Unit, University of Basel, University Hospital Basel, Basel, 4Barmelweid Clinic, Barmelweid, 5University Clinic of Medicine, Kantonsspital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a new pictorial form of a screening test for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) – the pictorial Sleepiness and Sleep Apnoea Scale (pSSAS). Validation was performed in a sample of patients admitted to sleep clinics in the UK and Switzerland.Patients and methods: All study participants were investigated with objective sleep tests such as full-night-attended polysomnography or polygraphy. The pSSAS was validated by taking into account the individual result of the sleep study, sleep-related questionnaires and objective parameters such as body mass index (BMI) or neck circumference. Different scoring schemes of the pSSAS were evaluated, and an internal validation was undertaken.Results: The full data set consisted of 431 individuals (234 patients from the UK, 197 patients from Switzerland). The pSSAS showed good predictive performance for OSAS with an area under the curve between 0.77 and 0.81 depending on which scoring scheme was used. The subscores of the pSSAS had a moderate-to-strong correlation with widely used screening questionnaires for OSAS or excessive daytime sleepiness as well as with BMI and neck circumference.Conclusion: The pSSAS can be used to select patients with a high probability of having OSAS. Due to its simple pictorial design with short questions, it might be suitable for screening in populations with low health literacy and in non-native English or German speakers. Keywords: questionnaire, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep associated disorders, screening, pictorial, occupatio